Magnetic Golf Ball Collecting Device

ABSTRACT

A golf ball collecting device including a cup adapted to successfully hold a golf ball therein. The cup incorporates a metal disc of magnetic material to enable the device to be attached by magnetic force to the end of a golf club. In this manner the golf club with the device attached thereto can be used to retrieve a golf ball from ground level without having to bend down. The golf ball can be gripped by the device by aiming the cup at the golf ball and pressing on it slightly, thus allowing the golfer to easily retrieve the ball without having to bend over or kneel and risk straining their knees or back. The device can be quickly and easily attached to the golf club by a second metal disc attached to the handle grip, and just as quickly and easily removed after the golf ball has been retrieved.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a device for collecting golf balls andrelates particularly to a magnetic golf ball collecting device thatpermits a golfer to easily pick up a golf ball without having to bendover or straining their knees and back.

BACKGROUND TO THE INVENTION

Golf is already a very popular recreational sport for many people, andits popularity will continue to increase as the number of retirees inwealthy countries increases. However, for many golfers having torepeatedly bend down to pick up the ball after a putt, or to retrieve aball when the ball has landed in shrubs, bushes, sand or water, canbecome a major ordeal as it places considerable strain on their kneesand back. This is especially a problem with the elderly, people witharthritis, those with back injuries, those who have had jointreplacements (hip or knee) and those with some other sort of restrictionin movement.

Prior art devices exist which consist of a pliable plastic tube havingan inside diameter slightly less than the diameter of a golf ball, whichwhen pressed down hard on a golf ball grips the ball. Other devicescomprise a soft rubber suction cup which functions in a similar manner.Such prior art devices can be attached to the end of a shaft, forexample, to the grip of a golf club, so that the device can be used tocollect a ball from ground level without bending down. Although suchdevices generally function in an acceptable manner, they tend to besomewhat bulky and can be difficult to attach to and/or remove from thegrip of the golf club. Because the attachment of the device relies onfriction or a screw-thread connection, considerable force may berequired to attach or remove the device.

The present invention was developed with a view to providing a golf ballcollecting device that can be easily attached to and removed from theend of a shaft, such as the grip of a golf club, without the applicationof undue force.

References to prior art in this specification are provided forillustrative purposes only and are not to be taken as an admission thatsuch prior art is part of the common general knowledge in Australia orelsewhere.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to one aspect of the present invention there is provided amagnetic golf ball collecting device comprised of a rubber cup with amagnet attached on the underside of the outer surface of the rubber cup.

According to another aspect of the present invention there is provided amagnetic golf ball collecting device comprising a cup adapted tosuccessfully hold a golf ball therein, the cup incorporating somemagnetic material to enable the device to be attached by magnetic forceto the end of an elongate object, wherein the elongate object with thedevice attached thereto can be used to retrieve a golf ball from groundlevel without having to bend down.

Preferably said magnetic material comprises a first metal disc which isattached to a rear face of the cup. Preferably said elongate object is agolf club, and the golf club handle is provided with some magneticmaterial in connection therewith. Preferably the magnetic materialprovided in connection with the handle comprises a second metal discwhich is attached to the top end of the handle grip. Preferably saidfirst and second metal discs are both magnets, which are attached to thecup and the grip respectively with opposite poles facing outwards, sothat when the first and second metal discs are brought into closeproximity they attract each other and the device is held on the grip bymagnetic attraction.

Advantageously, the golf club collecting device may further comprise agolf ball marker, also made from magnetic material, for marking thelocation of a golf ball on a putting green when the ball is removed topermit other players to putt. Preferably said golf ball marker comprisesa third metal disc which can also be attached to the handle of the golfclub by magnetic attraction, and which can be placed on the green orpicked up from the green without bending down using the golf club.Preferably said third metal disc is also a magnet which can be held onthe handle grip between the first and second discs.

Preferably the golf ball collecting device may further comprise anaccessory comprising a clip adapted to slide onto a belt or the edge ofa bag and having some magnetic material incorporated therein, whereinthe cup and/or the marker can be attached to the accessory by magneticforce. Preferably said clip is made of resilient material and comprisesa substantially planar member in a U-shaped configuration, having a gapbetween facing surfaces of a size to accommodate the thickness of a beltor fabric snugly therein. Preferably at least of one of said facingsurfaces is provided with one or more protrusions adapted to grip thebelt or fabric between the facing surfaces.

Preferably said cup comprises a substantially hemispherical concavesurface having an inner diameter similar in size to the outer diameterof a golf ball. Preferably said cup further comprises an annularprotrusion extending inwards around the circumference of the cup andadapted to grip the outer surface of the golf ball. Preferably said cupis made from a suitable resilient material and is shaped to hold a golfball therein by friction between the annular protrusion and the surfaceof the golf ball. Alternatively, the annular protrusion is made from asuitable resilient material and the golf ball is held in the cup byfriction between the annular protrusion and the surface of the golfball.

According to a further aspect of the present invention there is provideda golf accessory in the form of a clip adapted to slide onto a belt orthe edge of a bag and having some magnetic material incorporatedtherein, wherein a cup and/or a marker incorporating some magneticmaterial can be attached to the accessory by magnetic force, the cupbeing adapted to successfully hold a golf ball therein.

Preferably the clip is made of resilient material and comprises asubstantially planar member in a U-shaped configuration, having a gapbetween facing surfaces of a size to accommodate the thickness of a beltor fabric snugly therein.

Preferably at least of one of said facing surfaces is provided with oneor more protrusions adapted to grip the belt or fabric between thefacing surfaces.

Throughout this specification the term “magnetic material” will beunderstood to refer to any suitable material having the properties of amagnet, or capable of being attracted by, or acquiring the propertiesof, a magnet.

Throughout the specification, unless the context requires otherwise, theword “comprise” or variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, willbe understood to imply the inclusion of a stated integer or group ofintegers but not the exclusion of any other integer or group ofintegers. Likewise the word “preferably” or variations such as“preferred”, will be understood to imply that a stated integer or groupof integers is desirable but not essential to the working of theinvention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The nature of the invention will be better understood from the followingdetailed description of several specific embodiments of the golf ballcollecting device, given by way of example only, with reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded section view of a preferred embodiment of the golfball collecting device according to the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of the golf ball collecting device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 illustrates the golf ball collecting device of FIG. 1 attached toa grip of a golf club;

FIG. 4 shows how the golf ball collecting device of FIG. 1 can be easilyremoved from the grip of the golf club;

FIG. 5 illustrates the manner of attaching the golf ball collectingdevice of FIG. 1 to a golf club grip together with a golf ball marker;

FIG. 6 illustrates an accessory for the golf ball collecting device ofFIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a side view of the accessory illustrated in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 illustrates the golf ball collecting device of FIG. 1 togetherwith a golf ball marker attached to a grip of a golf club; and,

FIG. 9 shows how the golf ball collecting device of FIG. 1 together withthe golf ball marker can be easily removed from the grip of the golfclub.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

A preferred embodiment of the golf ball collecting device 10 accordingto the invention, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings,comprises a cup 12 adapted to successfully hold a golf ball (not shown)therein. The cup 12 incorporates some magnetic material to enable thedevice to be attached by magnetic force to the end of an elongateobject, such as a golf club. Hence in this manner the golf club with thedevice attached thereto can be used to retrieve a golf ball from groundlevel without having to bend down. The golf ball can be gripped by thedevice 10 by aiming the cup 12 at the golf ball and pressing on itslightly, thus allowing the golfer to easily retrieve the ball withouthaving to bend over or kneel and risk straining their knees or back. Thedevice 10 can be quickly and easily attached to the golf club, and justas quickly and easily removed after the golf ball has been retrieved.

In the preferred embodiment of the device 10 the magnetic materialcomprises a first metal disc 14 which is attached to a rear face of thecup 12. Preferably the elongate object is a golf club 16, as illustratedin FIGS. 3 and 4, and the handle 18 of the golf club is provided withsome magnetic material in connection therewith. In the illustratedembodiment the magnetic material provided in connection with the handle18 comprises a second metal disc 20 which is attached to the top end ofthe handle grip 18. Preferably the first and second metal discs 14 and20 are both magnets, which are attached to the cup 12 and the handlegrip 18 respectively with opposite poles facing outwards, so that whenthe first and second metal discs are brought into close proximity theyattract each other and the device 10 is held on the grip 18 by magneticattraction. No external force need be applied to attach the device 10 tothe golf club grip 18, because of the magnetic attraction when the twometal discs are brought into close range. Likewise, very little force isrequired to break the magnetic attraction and remove the device 10 fromthe grip 18. However the magnetic force between the two metal discs issufficiently strong that it will readily hold both the device 10 and theweight of a golf ball 22 securely on the end of the handle grip 18.

The cup can be made from any suitable material such as rubber, plastic,steel/aluminium, Teflon, wood with a rubber ring or lining, or any othermaterial that would hold onto a golf ball successfully. In theillustrated embodiment the cup 12 comprises a substantiallyhemispherical concave surface 24 having an inner diameter similar insize to that the outer diameter of golf ball 22. The cup 12 furthercomprises an annular protrusion 26 extending inwards around thecircumference of the cup 12 and which is adapted to grip the outersurface of the golf ball 22. The cup 12 is made from a suitableresilient material, such as rubber, and is shaped to hold a golf balltherein by friction between the annular protrusion 26 and the surface ofthe golf ball 22. In an alternative embodiment, the cup is made from arigid material, such as steel, and only the annular protrusion 26 ismade from a suitable resilient material such as rubber, so that the golfball is held in the cup by friction between the annular protrusion 26and the surface of the golf ball.

Advantageously, the golf club collecting device further comprises a golfball marker, also made from magnetic material, for marking the locationof a golf ball on a putting green when the ball is removed to permitother players to putt. In the preferred embodiment, as illustrated inFIGS. 5, 8 and 9, the golf ball marker comprises a third metal disc 30which can also be attached to the handle 18 of the golf club by magneticattraction. The golf ball marker 30 can be placed on the green or pickedup from the green without bending down using the golf club 16.Preferably the third metal disc 30 is also a magnet which can be held onthe handle grip 18 between the first and second discs 14 and 20.

Preferably the golf club collecting device further comprises anaccessory comprising a clip 40 adapted to slide onto a belt or the edgeof a bag (not shown) and having some magnetic material incorporatedtherein, wherein the cup 12 and/or the marker 30 can be attached to theaccessory by magnetic force. In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 6and 7, the clip 40 is made of a resilient material, such as spring steelor plastic, and comprises a substantially planar member 42 in a U-shapedconfiguration, having a gap 44 between facing surfaces of a size toaccommodate the thickness of a belt or fabric snugly therein. One of thefacing surfaces is provided with one or more protrusions 46 adapted togrip the belt or fabric between the facing surfaces. In this embodimentthe magnetic material incorporated in the clip comprises a fourth metaldisc 48 which is affixed to an external face of the U-shaped planarmember 42. The clip 40 can be worn by a golfer and used to carry thegolf ball collecting device 10 and/or one or more golf ball markers 30in a readily accessible manner.

Now that preferred embodiments of the golf ball collecting device havebeen described in detail, it will be apparent that it provides a numberof advantages over the prior art, including the following:

-   (i) It is easy to use and requires no externally applied force to    attach to the golf club, and relatively little force to remove from    the golf club.-   (ii) It is of simple and robust construction and readily lends    itself to mass production.-   (iii) It can be easily carried on a simple belt accessory, together    with matching golf ball markers, in a readily accessible manner.

It will be readily apparent to persons skilled in the relevant arts thatvarious modifications and improvements may be made to the foregoingembodiments, in addition to those already described, without departingfrom the basic inventive concepts of the present invention. For example,it is not essential that the cup of the device grip the golf ball byfriction; it could be designed to hold the ball successfully by suction.Therefore, it will be appreciated that the scope of the invention is notlimited to the specific embodiments described.

1. A magnetic golf ball collecting device comprising: a cup adapted toreceive a golf ball therein, the cup including a magnetic material toenable the device to be releasably attached by magnetic force to the endof an elongate object, wherein the elongate object with the deviceattached thereto can be used to retrieve a golf ball from ground levelwithout a person holding the elongate object having to bend down. 2 Amagnetic golf ball collecting device as defined in claim 1, wherein saidmagnetic material comprises a first metal disc which is attached to arear face of the cup.
 3. A magnetic golf ball collecting device asdefined in claim 1, wherein said elongate object is a golf club, and thegolf club includes a handle provided with the magnetic material inconnection therewith.
 4. A magnetic golf ball collecting device asdefined in claim 3, wherein the magnetic material provided with the golfclub handle comprises a second metal disc which is attached to a top endof a handle grip of the golf club.
 5. A magnetic golf ball collectingdevice as defined in claim 4, wherein said first and second metal discsare both magnets, which are attached to the cup and the handle griprespectively with opposite magnetic poles facing outwards, so that whenthe first and second metal discs are brought into close proximity theyattract each other and the device is held on the grip by magneticattraction.
 6. A magnetic golf ball collecting device as defined inclaim 1, further comprising a golf ball marker comprising a magneticmaterial, for marking the location of a golf ball on a putting greenwhen the ball is removed to permit other players to putt.
 7. A magneticgolf ball collecting device as defined in claim 6, wherein said golfball marker comprises a third metal disc releasably attached to a handleof the elongate object by magnetic attraction, and said golf ball markercan be placed on a ground level surface or picked up from the groundlevel surface without the person bending down.
 8. A magnetic golf ballcollecting device as defined in claim 7, wherein said third metal discincludes a magnet held on a handle grip of the elongate object betweenthe first disc and second discs.
 9. A magnetic golf ball collectingdevice as defined in claim 1, further comprising a clip includingmagnetic material incorporated therein, wherein the cup is releasablyattached to the clip by magnetic force.
 10. A magnetic golf ballcollecting device as defined in claim 9, wherein said clip is made ofresilient material and comprises a substantially planar member in aU-shaped configuration, having a gap between facing surfaces of a sizeto slide over a belt or fabric.
 11. A magnetic golf ball collectingdevice as defined in claim 10, wherein at least of one of said facingsurfaces is provided with at least one protrusion adapted to grip a beltor fabric between the facing surfaces.
 12. A magnetic golf ballcollecting device comprising: a rubber cup, and a magnet attached on toan underside of an outer surface of the rubber cup.
 13. A magnetic golfball collecting device as in claim 1, wherein said cup comprises asubstantially hemispherical concave surface having an inner diametersimilar in size to the outer diameter of a golf ball.
 14. A magneticgolf ball collecting device as defined in claim 13, wherein said cupfurther comprises an annular protrusion extending inwards around acircumference of the cup and adapted to grip an outer surface of thegolf ball.
 15. A magnetic golf ball collecting device as defined inclaim 14, wherein said cup is made from a resilient material and isshaped to hold a golf ball therein by friction between the annularprotrusions and the outer surface of the golf ball.
 16. A magnetic golfball collecting device as defined in claim 14, wherein the annularprotrusion is made from a resilient material and the golf ball is heldin the cup by friction between the annular protrusion and the outersurface of the golf ball. 17-18. (canceled)